Comic Book Reviews for 9/12/12

It was inevitable, really. Death was going to strike Avengers vs. X-Men sooner or later, and so here we are. We won't spoil it here, but head over to our big interview with Brian Bendis if you want to get the scoop on the events of AvX #11. If you want to know if it's any good, well then keep on truckin'.

Also this week: the Bat-family gets a whole bunch of issue zeroes, the Rocketeer continues to amaze, and Uncanny X-Force continues to depress. What a week.

DC COMICS

Batgirl #0

Written by Gail Simone | Art by Ed Benes

"Right off the bat (heh) I can say that Batgirl #0 is chock full of fan-service moments, but I’m pleased to say that it’s not at the expense of the story. You’ll see Dick Grayson as Robin, references to Killing Joke, and even some delicious creeper moments for James Jr., but Gail Simone never once loses site of Babs and her motivations for becoming Batgirl in the first place. She creates a refreshing scenario in which we get to see her birth as a crime fighter, all the while lacing the issue with a strong thematic hook that culminates in one hell of a punchline." -Joey

7.5

Batman #0

Written by Scott Snyder | Art by Greg Capullo

"Batman #0 is kind of a strange beast. It seems to serve as a precursor to the upcoming Death of the Family in that it explores the old Red Hood and his gang – where Scott Snyder suggests that this is indeed a pre-chemical bath Joker -- but it ends with a disappointing 'to be continued in 2013' without any resolution. To that end, on its own, Batman #0 doesn’t really feel like a complete story, instead just snippets of some great character moments for Bruce Wayne, Alfred, and Jim Gordon. There’s a lot of interesting stuff in here, but I suspect this issue will read better once the full context is known." -Joey

8.0

Batman and Robin #0

Written by Peter Tomasi | Art by Patrick Gleason

"Before we begin, let me just say that if you’re focused on figuring out how Damian could be 10 when Batman’s only been operating for 5-6 years, then stop. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Batman and Robin #0 is an endearing look at young Damian’s early days under the tutelage of his mother, leading directly into the events of Grant Morrison’s Batman and Son. It’s not exactly a fresh start for new readers, but longtime fans that hold Morrison’s work close to their heart will get goosebumps hitting this issue’s final page to relive one his run’s best moments." -Joey

8.0

Before Watchmen: Comedian #3

Written by Brian Azzarello | Art by J.G. Jones

"For better or worse, Brain Azzarello seems less interested in replicating the tone and feel of the original Watchmen series with his two Before Watchmen books. But while Before Watchmen: Comedian is less redundant than it might have been, it also isn't managing to provide a compelling narrative or a cohesive look at what makes this dark vigilante tick." -Jesse

6.0

Demon Knights #0

Written by Paul Cornell | Art by Bernard Chang

"Demon Knights #0 is not technically a bad comic book. It's well written and nicely drawn. It boasts a nice flow, with some interesting scenes. Unfortunately, it is also completely and totally unnecessary. It jumps back in time, like most of these DC zero issues, and gives us a glimpse into a time before The Demon Knights story started. This means that the book is devoid of some of the series' best characters and lacks any kind of meaningful story. It feels like an editorial mandate, and that's probably because it no doubt was." -Benjamin

7.0

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #0

Written by Matt Kindt | Art by Alberto Ponticelli

"Frankenstein is a series I enjoyed as the New 52 relaunch kicked off but eventually fell behind on. Luckily, Matt Kindt's approach to issue #0 is one that welcomes new and lapsed readers. This completely standalone tale focuses on the creation of Victor Frankenstein's monster and the early battles that shaped him into the sword-slinging hero he is today." -Jesse

8.0

Green Lantern Corps #0

Written by Peter Tomasi | Art by Fernando Pasarin

"'I’ve seen more blood and guts and severed heads in the DC Universe in the past year than I have in quite some time.' That’s what my editor Joey Esposito said in his retrospective on DC’s New 52, a sentiment that couldn’t be felt more in Green Lantern Corps and bears exceptional truth in this zero issue. But after the beheadings, impalings, and bisections, Peter J. Tomasi writes one hell of a Guy Gardner origin story." -Joshua

8.0

Grifter #0

Written by Rob Liefeld | Art by Scott Clark

"This book could be made into a four-page short. It also happens to be approximately the same plot of this month’s Superboy #0. In all honesty, the most entertainment that I mined from this book was Rob Liefeld’s hilariously bad cover. For a good laugh, find a copy and check out Grifter’s left thumb, right triceps, right legs, and right hand. Just don’t buy it." -Poet

4.0

Legion Lost #0

Written by Tom DeFalco | Art by Pete Woods

"Legion Lost #0 is a pretty standard origin story for the most interesting character in the title, supplying enough action and drama for the title to transition smoothly into its next issue. Timber Wolf receives a solid retelling of his backstory and motivation for his career as a vigilante/Legion member. In the end, Tom DeFalco’s story is enough to justify this issue’s existence, but it’s unlikely to be your favorite book this week." -Poet

7.0

The Ravagers #0

Written by Howard Mackie | Art by Ian Churchill

"Ravagers #0 takes the more straightforward approach to the Zero Month concept, flashing back to Beast Boy and Terra's origins as prisoners in the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. program. Howard Mackie aims to reveal how their bond developed in the face of great hardship and suffering. It's a nice idea, but the issue fails to offer any sense of progression. The characters barely encounter each other before Terra is throwing herself in the line of fire to protect Garth. There should have been more focus on the duo and less on Harvest and his minions explaining the nature of Garth and Tara's powers. Generally, Mackie's writing style is best suited to more family-friendly superhero fare. The pointless exposition and the overuse of technical jargon and scientific buzzwords do little to make this feel like a smart, science fiction-oriented superhero book." -Jesse

5.0

"It's a fair question to ask why Resurrection Man needs a #0 issue when the entire series has been devoted to slowly shedding light on Mitch Shelley's mysterious past and the nature of his powers. But with DC bringing the series to an end this month, Resurrection Man #0 is more a patch designed to tie up all the loose ends as quickly and neatly as possible. Unsurprisingly, that makes for an underwhelming finish to the series." -Jesse

5.0

Suicide Squad #0

Written by Adam Glass | Art by Fernando Dagnino

"Amanda Waller is certainly getting a lot of attention in the New 52. Though her old Team 7 is making its debut this week as well, Suicide Squad #0 picks up promptly after that team meets its end – something that apparently rubs The Wall the wrong way. While we presumably have quite a while to see the events referenced play out, writer Adam Glass makes it clear that Team 7 didn’t exactly leave Waller in a good place. For its length, Glass does a fair job of establishing the setting of this issue and the relationship of Waller and new character Duren. The book is brisk, but uses careful dialogue to allot for space constraints. However, as solid as the setup might be, the conclusion is lacking." -Joey

6.5

Superboy #0

Written by Tom DeFalco | Art by RB Silva & Rob Lean

"Fans of exposition and recapitulation get ready. This book is chock full of it. If you’ve followed the series, you will learn next to nothing. Superboy #0 is a filler issue if ever there was one. Yes, Tom DeFalco’s script does add a bit of backstory, strange as it is. Sadly, the greater part of the book is a rehash of the first few issues of the series. Worse, there is an epic, grating voiceover/monologue by Harvest that lasts almost the entire issue. It does explain how Harvest fits into the whole convoluted scheme, but it fails to register as interesting." -Poet

5.0

Team 7 #0

Written by Justin Jordan | Art by Jesus Merino

"The original Team 7 series is a book I have fond memories of. It's probably not quite as good as I remember it, but it was a cool little series that explored the nasty roots of the Wildstorm Universe. It showed that everything was connected and that many of the characters had darker, more violent pasts than we had previously imagined. The new Team 7 book is nothing like that. It's generic, sluggish, and boring. It really shares only one thing with the original book and that's the title." -Benjamin